Door-latch.



m 0 B r a M d B n 8 t a P N 0 s D R A H m R .L F R 4 B 4 4 6 0 N DOOR LATCH.

(Application filed May 19, 1899.)

(No Model.)

W/ T/VE SSE S THE Norms PETERS ca, worauwn WASHINGTON, o. c.

UNlTED S'rarns .ATENT Orrics.

FREDERICK E. RICHARDSON, OF MANCHESTER, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO CHARLES E. SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

DOOR-LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,9d6, dated March 6, 1900.

Application filed May 19,1899- Serial'llo. 717,455, (No model.)

To all whom 2110 may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. RICH- ARDSON, of Manchester, in the county of Delaware and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved DoonLatch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in door-latches, and comprises the novel f eatu res hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 shows in perspective a portion of a door with my latch applied thereto. 2 is a section taken through the edge of a door having my latch applied thereto, showing the latch in plan. Fig. 3 is a detail show ing the latch in elevation from the side of the door upon which it is pivoted; and Fig. l is an elevation of the latch, taken from the direction of the outer edge of the door,.the lat ter appearing in section.

The latch proper of my device consists of a lever B, which is curved into the form of a yoke or stirrup, said lever being pivotally supported at one side of the door and close to the edge thereof. The pivot D, upon which this lever is mounted, is carried by a bracket, which consists of a plate E, which is adapted to be screwed to the face of the door and has arms E extending outward therefrom and receiving the pivot D. Surrounding this pivot above and below the latch Bis a spiral spring 0, one end of which engages with shoulders E formed upon the bracket, and the other end of which engages with the latch 13, so as to hold the same outward or in looking position.

The section B of the lever B or that section which extends through and across the edge of the door is provided with two outwardly-projecting teeth I) and 17, facing toward each other, and one adapted to engage a keeper F whenthe door is closed and the other adapted to engage a staple or keeper H, which is secured to the wall and is engaged by the latch when the door is swung open. This part B of the latch-bar passes through a slot (1, formed in the edge of the door. Connected with the outer end of the Fig.

section B or forming an extension thereof is a section B which extends inwardly from the edge of the door or substantially parallel with the face of the door and at its inner end has a curved arm B which extends toward the face of the door. This section B forms a handle of convenient shape for engagement and by which the latch may be operated from one side of the door. In the other direction from the pivot D the latch-bar has a section B which extends inward from the edge of the door and substantially parallel with the face of the door. At its inner end it is also-provided with an eXtension'B which extends toward the face of the door, the efiective length of this section being adjustable by means of a set-screw G, which screws into the end thereof. The outer end of this set-screw is adapted to engage the surface of the door when the door is closed and the latch is in lookin g position. The projection of the tooth b, by which the door is held, may be varied by varying the projection of the set-screw G.

The keeper F, which is supported upon the door-jamb, consists of an ordinary plate having an openingf therein adapted to receive the tooth b. The keeper or-staple H, which is secured to the wall and which is engaged by the tooth b when the door is swung open, is herein shown as a plain staple, but may be made of any shape, so that it provides a bar which may be engaged by the tooth b. By engaging either of the handle-sections 1B or B the latch may be readily freed from its keeper and the door opened.

It will be noticed that the strain which would be brought upon the latch by pressure upon the door when it is locked will in all cases be substantially lengthwise of the latch and not crosswise thereof, as is true of most latches. In consequence the latch will be found much stronger than if the strain were applied transversely of the latch.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A door-latch, comprising a bar pivoted intermediate its length upon a vertical pivot and located at one side of a door, one end of said bar extending toward the door edge and being adapted to engage the keeper, and the other end extending inward from the door edge, and then curving toward the door, an adjustable extension for this end of the latchbar, and a keeper adapted to be secured to the door-jamb, substantially as described.

2. A doorlatch, comprising an integral yoke or stirrup shaped bar the ends of which embrace the door edge and adapted to serve as handles for the sides of the door, a lockingtooth on the outer or bottom portion of the stirrup, a pivot for said bar at one side of the door near its edge, and a keeper on the doorjamb adapted to engage the tooth on the bar, substantially as described.

3. A door-latch, comprising a yoke or stirrup shaped bar which embraces the door edge and has a locking-tooth on the outer or bottom portion of the stirrup, and a pivot for said bar at one side of the door near its edge, the pivoted side of the stirrup having an adjustable extension adapted to contact with the side of the door and thus to limit the pr0- jection of the locking-tooth, substantially as described.

4. A door-latch, comprising a yoke or stirrup shaped bar which embraces the door edge and has two locking-teeth on the outer or bottom portion of the stirrup, a pivot for said bar at one side of the door near its edge, a keeper on the door-jamb adapted to engage one of the teeth on the bar, and a keeper on the wall adapted to engage with thelockingtooth when the door is swung open, substantially as described.

5. A door-latch, comprising a yoke or stirrup shaped bar which embraces the door edge and has two locking-teeth on the outer or bottom portion of the stirrup, a pivot for said bar at one side of the door near its edge, the pivoted side of the stirrup having an adjustable extension, adapted to contact with the side of the door and thus to limit the projection of the locking-tooth, a keeper 011 the door-jamb adapted to engage one of the teeth on the bar, and a keeper on the wall adapted to engage the other locking-tooth when the dooris swung open,substantially as described.

6. A door latch, comprising an integral yoke or stirrup shaped bar the ends of which embrace the door edge and adapted to serve as handles for the sides of the door, a lockingtooth on the outer or bottom portion of the stirrup, a pivot for said bar at one side of the door near its edge, a keeper on the door-jamb adapted to engage the tooth on the bar, and a spring acting. on the stirrup to hold the locking-tooth projected, substantially as described.

7. A door latch, comprising an integral yoke or stirrup shaped bar the ends of which embrace the door edge and adapted to serve as handles for the sides of the door, a lockingtooth on the outer or bottom portion of the stirrup, a pivot for said bar at one side of the door near its edge, a spring mounted on the pivot and engaging the stirrup to keep the locking-tooth projected, and a keeper on the door-jamb adapt-ed to engage the tooth on the bar, substantially as described.

FREDERICK E. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

E. B. STILEs, W. H. NORRIS. 

